I have five hens all are Araucanas (suppose to be) and not one of them are sitting on their eggs. anyone know why they aren't? I was told that they were good setters.
You have to wait till their hormones kick in and they go broody on their own. It's not something that we can do anything about. They won't sit on eggs until they are good and ready.
I have also heard mentioned that chickens usually wait until the lay their entire "batch" (im wanting to say clutch) before they go broody as well. Anybody know how many eggs that might actually be? I am nothing but a novice on this but was curious about that as well. Anyone know? Thanks!
I think it depends on the bird. I think someone a while back had one hatch out 18! I had a Japanese bantam hatch out 10 last year. She completely surprised me. I didn't even know she was setting on eggs...sneaky girl...lol.
Last year 3 of my five EE hens went broody. Two did it in the early and mid summer with about 6 eggs under them. Unfortunately I didn't have a rooster at that time so I had to keep removing them from the nest. In late summer one of my girls just dissapeared. I feared the worst, but after a month she returned. She must have hid a nest somewhere private and when nothing hatched finally gave up and came home. I felt really sorry for her to put in all that time with no results, but I just couldn't find her nest anywhere. Lisa